Japanese editorial excerpts -4-

Japan Policy & Politics, May 2, 2005

TOKYO, April 27 Kyodo

Selected editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

4 YEARS OF KOIZUMI (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published April 26)

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's government marked its fourth anniversary on Tuesday. After so many policy fiascos, the Koizumi administration is probably in a more awkward position than when it started.

His government has been forced to make damaging concessions to the Liberal Democratic Party over the crucial policy initiative of postal privatization, while Japan's diplomatic relations with Asian nations have deteriorated sharply since Koizumi came into office. Strangely, however, Koizumi still enjoys sympathetic, if not enthusiastic, support among both LDP lawmakers and the public.

There are few party members calling for Koizumi's resignation, even among those opposed to his postal privatization plan. The LDP won both Lower House by-elections Sunday, which had been widely expected to be close races.

In an Asahi Shimbun survey conducted in mid-April, 63 percent of the respondents wanted Koizumi to remain in office until the end of his term as the LDP president in September next year.

Koizumi's plan to privatize Japan Post is now on track to be passed during the current session of the Diet. With the political battle for this vital policy initiative virtually over, Koizumi faces the challenge of setting new appealing policy goals to keep his government from losing political momentum through the rest of his tenure.

A number of issues are begging to be tackled immediately: the long-term financing of social security, which has been shelved because of Koizumi's pledge not to raise the consumption tax while he is in office; and the so-called three-pronged fiscal decentralization that has degenerated into mostly pointless number juggling. These issues will likely be left in political limbo.

There are also some burning issues on the diplomatic front. While he has bolstered Japan's ties with Washington by supporting the U.S.-led war against Iraq and sending Self-Defense Forces to the country, Koizumi has thrown diplomatic relations with China and South Korea into a tailspin.

Japan has no time to waste. Koizumi should keep this in mind in his fifth year of governing this country.

(April 27)